The Future Of Overwatch League Is In Question
20 Jul 2023
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Toronto Defiant Drop Its Overwatch League Roster
- Toronto Defiant allowed its entire Overwatch roster to explore options
- This news comes amid uncertainty about the 2024 Overwatch League
- Defiant follows a similar trend as other franchises
Toronto Defiant
(credit: via defiant.overwatchleague.com)
On Monday, October 16, the Overwatch League franchise, Toronto Defiant, announced it is allowing its players to explore their options for the 2024 season. This follows a similar trend other franchises have been following since the end of the 2023 season due to the uncertainty of the future of OWL.
Toronto Defiant are the latest team to drop its Overwatch roster ahead of the 2024 Overwatch League season, as confirmed in a Twitter post on Monday. As announced, the Defiant is allowing its entire lineup, to explore their options in free agency; however, the team plans to keep head coach Cas “Casores” van Andel going forward.
“Today we share our decision to allow our roster to explore free agency heading into 2024. This pasty ear was a journey of growth and momentum, and we owe much of that to our players, coaching staff, and supportive fans. 2023 has been a year to remember.”
“To help us prepare for what’s to come in Overwatch, Casores will be staying with Defiant. Our enthusiasm for Overwatch and the Overwatch League continues, and we are poised for future opportunities.”
According to the announcement, Toronto Defiant don’t plan to exit the Overwatch esports scene anytime soon. However, it’s clear that Defiant have big plans for the next season and possibly a more budget approach to building their roster.
Toronto Defiant are not the only team to wave goodbye to its entire Overwatch League roster. Just a couple of hours prior, Seoul Dynasty made the same announcement, releasing all of its players and coaching staff.
The two squads now join a long list of teams who have released either the roster or the majority of the players, including Houston Outlaws, Shanghai Dragons, San Francisco Shock, Boston Uprising, and Vegas Eternal.
It’s unclear what the teams who released their rosters have planned for the next season, but at least with the Defiant, it seems like the team plans to remain involved in the league – in whatever shape it might return next season.
Even though the situation with the Overwatch League looks grim, the league is not dead. At the end of the 2023 season, Activision Blizzard promised big changes for the next season and a planned meeting with the team owners, who will decide on how to move forward.
Teams are also allowed to leave the league and receive a $6 million termination fee, but it’s unclear which franchises will decide for this option.
